Device for locating submerged articles



1949- w. E. CARDINAL 2,479,098

DEVICE FOR LOCATING SUBMERGED ARTICLES Filed May 21, 1947 2 She'ets-Shet1 14 Fig. I. Fig, 2.

24 "I. I 32 I8 30 1 a '6?- 'I6 34 I0 Inventor William E. Cardinal -Aug.16, 1949.

W. E. CARDINAL DEVICE FOR LOCATING SUBMERGED ARTICLES Filed May 21, 1947Fig.3.

\xvax U U U 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I "rel/tor William E. Cardinal z A ttorneyiPatented Aug. 16, 1949 ulv rs'oij srAf YDEVIOE i on LOCATING SUBMERGEDARTICLES William E. Cardinal, Madison, Fla., assignor of L fifty percent to Joe G. Allen, Montgomery,

- Ala.

This invention apper ains to'novel and useful improvements in devicesforindicating the location of submerged articles,"'particularly fishingreels,'outboard motors-tackle boxes and the like.

I An object of this invention'is to provide a housing having 'a portionof animproved latching means for use particularly in the use of thepresent invention-and forming a portion thereon A salient object of-thisinvention is to provide soluble means; preferably'i'nth'e form of atablet, for retaining a buoyant "cover means on said housing. H

A further object of this invention is to provide means for resilientlybiasing the cover means from the housing thereby holding a solubletablet latch keeper m9; fixed position; 1'

A still further object of this invention is to provide an extremelyinexpensive device of this nature which is simple in construction,inexpensive to operate and which lends itself well to commercialmanufacture. i 4

' Other objects and features of novelty shall become apparent to thoseskilled in'the art, in following the description of the preferredembodiment of the present invention, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein: I

' Figure 1 is a pictorial view' ofone use of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional'side view of'a preferred form of the presentinvention showing the same attached to a fishingreel;

Figure 3 is a sectional view similarto that shown in Figure 2 showingthe cover means partially removed; j 7 Q Figure 4 is a transversesectional view of the invention disclosed in Figure 3 and takensubstantially on the line 4-4 thereof and in the direction of thearrows, the fishing reel being removed; Figure 5 is' a sectional viewbffthe invention shown in Figure 2; taken substantially on the line 55thereof and in thedirection' of the arrows; and V Figure 6 is asectional view of the invention disclosed in Figure 2 and takensubstantially on the line B6 thereof and in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the illustrated preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, like reference characters are used throughout toindicate similar elements thereof.

This invention has been developed to provide a device for indicating theapproximate location of submerged articles such as outboard motors,fishing reels, lunch boxes, or any other item which might beinadvertently lost in a body of water.

fApplication May 21, 1947, Serial No. 749,449v V r 6Claims. (01.9-9)

2 V The preferred material of construction of the present invention iscommercial plastic however, it is obvious that other substitutions ofmaterial might be made. i a

One of the prime features of the'present invention is the utility ofcommercialaspirin tablets to form a portion of the latch means to. bedescribed herein. The cost of aspirin is notoriously low and aspirin isavailable throughout many countries and at substantially alldevelopedportions of said many countries. In other words, aspirin isboth inexpensive and available therefore, desirable as asoluble lockingelement in the present invention. 7

Taking Figure 2, there is disciosed'a' housing I!) having a bifurcated,substantially U-shaped member l2 extending, from the bottom thereof.This housing is provided for the purpose of being received on anyconventional element as set forth hereinabove, the fishing reel. I4beingtdisclosed for illustrative purposes. Of course, any suitableconventional securing means might be utilized forholdin the housinglil'on a reel or the like. A cover means is detachably received. on thesaid housing It] and is generally indicated by the referencenumeral Hi.This cover means is preferably composed of a pair of substantiallyparallel plates l8 and 29 respectively having buoyant material,preferably cork 22 interposedthe'rebetween. Any suitable securing meansmight be used in holding the cork in place iniixed relation, gluingbeing the most expedient when plastic is utilized. A s1ot.2.4 isprovided in the buoyant means 22, the slot being of dimensions toaccommodate the standard size aspirin tablet. Another slot 26 extendsthrough the plate. 2 0 communicatingwith the said slot 24. This latterslot is for. the purpose of receiving the terminal portions of theU-shaped member l2 described above.

. An arbor 28 extends from'the said plate 20 and a string means 36 iswound therearound. 1 One end of the said string means 30-.is secured tothe said housing Ill by any suitable means, preferably a simple eye orscrew connection 32. The'other end of the said string 39 is suitablysecured to the cover means. Means for resiliently biasing the covermeans out of the said housing In is provided. The preferableconstruction of said resilient biasing means is a simple coil spring 34encircling the said member l2, being anchored thereto as by a tight fitin a groove 36. The other end of the said 7 spring means 34 engages theplate 20, thereby urging the same away from the said housing bottom.

The operation of the invention is now quite ap- 3 parent. An aspirintablet 38 is received somewhere in the slot 24, then the cover means isinserted in the housing ID. The terminal portion of the said bifurcatedlatch I2 is received in the said slot 26 and the spring 34 is obviouslycompressed. The invention is then tilted to permit the aspirin tablet toslip under the upper portion of the bifurcated latch l2. If, for somereason, the tablet refuses to slide in the desired position, anelongated object, such as a match stick, might be inserted in theaperture 40 for iu'ging the aspirin forward. After the aspirin tablet-38 is finally in its proper location (see Fig. 2) the spring 34- ispermitted to bias the said tablet 38 against the wall of the said lidand against the uppermost portion of the latch I2. Upon submersion in anaqueous medium, liquid may seep into the aperture 40 and after a fewseconds the aspirin tablet loses a portion of its consistency. At thisstage; the spring 34 violently urges the cover means 16 from the housingand the said cover means floats to the surface due to its buoyantnature. Then, all that is necessary to discover the location of thefallen or lost article is to observe the position of the cover means It.v r While there has been described and illustrated but a singlepreferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various changes including omissions, additionsand rearrangement of elements may be "made herein without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. Accordingly, limitation is sought only inaccordance with the scope of the following claims.

Having thus ds'cr-ibed this invention, what is claimed as novel andimproved is:

1. Means for indicating the location of submerged articles including ahousing, buoyant cover means 'removably secured to said housing, meansfor resiliently biasing said cover means from said housing. latch meanscooperating with "said housing and "engaging said cover means, stringmeans secured to said housing and said cover means, said latch meanscomprising a sub stanti'all'y U-shaped member secured to said housing,the web thereof extending within said merged articles including ahousing, a buoyant member removably secured to said housing,

cover means and a soluble tablet interposed between saidjw'eb and aportion of said cover means.

2. Means for' indicating the location of submerged articles including ahousing, a buoyant cover removably secured to said housing, meansreacting on said housing and said cover resiliently biasing said coverfrom said housing, latch means cooperating with said housing andengaging said cover means, a flexible elongated member secured to saidhousing and said cover, said latch. means including an opening in saidcover having a soluble tablet disposed at least partially thereover anda keeper on said housing passed through said opening lockingly engagingsaid tablet.

K lt leans for indicating the location of sub means reacting on saidhousing and said member resiliently biasing said member from saidhousing, latch means cooperating with said housing and said member, saidlatch means including an opening in said member having a soluble tabletdisposed at least partially thereover and a keeper on said housinglockingly engaging said tablet, said buoyant member being held inposition with respect to said housing by said resilient biasing meansurging said member outwardly from said housing thereby pressing saidkeeper firmly against said tablet said member.

4-;Means for indicating the location of submerged articles, including ahousing, buoyant cover means removably secured to said housing, meansfor resiliently biasing said cover means from said housing, latch meanscooperating with said housing and engaging said cover means. stringmeans secured to said housing and said cover means, said latch meansincluding a sol uble tablet and a keeperon said housing engagingsa-idtablet, said *cover means comprising a lid having spacedplatestherein, means for 'receiving said soluble tablet between said plates,buoyant material between said plates, a slot in a selected plate forreceiving said keeper.

5. A device-for indicating the location of sub merged articlescomprising a housing adapted to be fixed to anar'ticle, a bifurcatedkeeper fixed to said housing, buoyant cover means, means or detachablysecuring said housing to said cover means, cable meanssecured to saidhousing and said cover means, said detachable securing means includingan aperture in said cover means, a 601* uble tablet disposed over saidaperture lockingly engaged by said bifurcated keeper.

6. A device for indicating the location of submerged articles comprisinga housing adapted to be fixed to an article, a bifurcated keeper fixedto said housing, a buoyant cover means, means for detachably securingsaid housing to said cover means, cable means securedto said housing andsaid cover v means, said detachable securing means including an aperturein said cover means, a soluble tablet disposed over said aperturelockingly engaged by said bifurcated keeper, means for resilientlybiasing said cover means from said hous ng.

E. REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES Bell et a1. Feb. 18, 1947'

